should be TURNED ASIDE OUT OF GOD'S WAYS, erring and deviating from the truth of the gospel; but rather that they be restored to it, so as no sufferings upon that account, under GOD's hand, might make them suppress the truth, or expose them to APOSTASY."* Jacobus Capellus observes that the original word εκτραπη, means, "plane pervertatur ac penitus immutetur," should be ALTOGETHER PERVERTED, and TOTALLY ALTERED: τρέπειν, adds he, "est mutuare," to turn, 66 EXTρETTE, prorsus immutare," to ALTER ENTIRELY.† From all that has been said, I conclude, that apostasy from Christ and his gospel was what the apostle meant by turning, or being turned out of the way.

17 Another passage which shews that falling away was the evil intended. is the 15th verse of this chapter. "Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of GoD, lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, Syn. Crit. in loc.

*Pool's Comment.

and thereby many be defiled."-By the grace of God is meant, 1. His favour; and 2. Those inward privileges, of light, power, &c. which are bestowed on all who enjoy that favour. By failing of the grace of God, cannot be meant, to fail of receiving it; seeing, as I have demonstrated above, that these Hebrews had already received it. What therefore the apostle intended by the expression was, failing to RETAIN the grace of God, or failing to PERSEVERE. Hence the words in the original, uspavao, are frequently rendered, FALL FROM the grace of God, and so our translators. have rendered them in the margin. And that this is the true import of the expressions, we learn farther from Duet. xxix. verse 18. from whence the apostle quoted them. "Lest there

be

among you any man or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart TURNETH AWAY this day from the Lord our GoD, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth galland worm

wood." Now it is certain that the apostle quoted this passage to shew these Hebrews, that they were in danger of the same kind of evil which their predecessors were in danger of in the days of Moses and the prophets. But that was the evil of aposTASY, or turning away from the Lord their God. Therefore it was APOSTASY, or turning away from the Lord our GOD, that the apostle intended in this passage.

And so evident is the truth of this, that Calvinists and Arminians equally agree in asserting it. Dr. Hammond expounds the place, "Taking all care that ye walk like Christians, THAT YE FALL NOT OFF from the gospel state."* Dr. Whitby tell us, that

Eva, is the same with asadar, to depart from the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, or, to depart from the faith, and, by so doing fall short of the promised rest, Heb. iv. 1. The words of the apostle, and

* Hammond on the place.

his scope, which is to prevent the Jews from BACKSLIDING from Christianity to Judaism, and the following exhortation, not to refuse him that speaketh now, ver. 25. and ExELY THE Xapi, to RETAIN AND HOLD FAST the grace of God, ver. 28. sufficiently shew."* So Mr. G. M. in his learned and judicious comment, saith, "The author here alludes to the words of Moses, Deut. xxix. 18. wherein he likewise speaketh of APOSTATES. By roots of bitterness--be understands APOSTATES." Mr. Trapp's observation is, “Perseverance crowns all;"‡ from whence it is evident that he understood the passage as speaking of perseverance. Dr. Doddridge's paraphrase is, "Look to it therefore, with the greatest attention and care, for yourselves and one another, lest any one, BY APOSTASY from the christian religion, fall short of the grace of GOD." In king Edward the Sixth's

Dr.Dodd

*Whitby on the place. See on the place. Trapp's Comment on the place. ridge on the place.

man FALL

bible it is, "Take heed that no man FALL AWAY from the GRACE of GOD;" and on these words, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you,” &c. the Note is," Of heresies, or APOSTASY."* The continuators of Pool render it fail of, or 66 FALL FROM" the GRACE of GOD.† Beza hath it, "Take heed that no FROM,"&c. and on those words, lest any root of bitterness, &c. the Note is, "That no heresy or BACKSLIDING be an offence." Dr. Heylin saith, "Superintend what passes among you, lest any one should FALL AWAY FROM GRACE."§ The Dutch Annotators expound it, "Looking to it lest any one stay behind [that is,abide behind, TURN AWAY] from the grace of God." Mr. Henry saith, "Here the apostle enters a serious caveat against APOSTASY, and backs it with an awful example." It is therefore certain that

*King Edward's Bible on the place. †Pool's Comment. Beza in loc. (Heylin on the place. Dutch Annot. on the place. THenry on the place.